[07/14/17 - 09:08 AM]Discovery's Ultimate Survival Event Begins Wednesday, August 2Look for brand new episodes of "Naked and Afraid" followed by the series premiere of Discovery's new survival show, "Darkness."

[via press release from Discovery]

THE ULTIMATE SURVIVAL EVENT: NAKED AND THE DARK

Two-Nights of NAKED AND AFRAID and New Series, DARKNESS
Wednesday, August 2nd and Thursday, August 3rd starting at 9pm ET

(New York) - No one does survival better than Discovery Channel - with experts surviving 21 days without food, water, shelter, clothes, and now - without their most valuable sense... sight. Tune in for a special two-night event on Wednesday, August 2nd and Thursday, August 3rd at 9PM ET/PT with brand new episodes of NAKED AND AFRAID followed by the series premiere of Discovery's new survival show, DARKNESS at 10PM ET/PT.

For the first time ever on NAKED AND AFRAID, two survivalists will have to survive stranded in the middle of the ocean. Finding food, water and shelter has proven to be an extremely daunting task for survivalists in the past, but now the stakes are even higher when these two strangers find themselves lost at sea on a raft. They must work to survive each other but also battle the elements including shark invested waters and harmful jellyfish. Never before has a man and woman been thrown into the open ocean and expected to survive for 21 days. NAKED AND AFRAID, the television pop culture phenomenon that entices and shocks viewers every week returns on Discovery Channel. On Sunday, July 30th at 10PM ET/PT and in a special SHARK WEEK premiere, viewers will see for the first time in NAKED AND AFRAID history, the two survivalist take on the open waters off the grounds of the Exumas Cays.

NAKED AND AFRAID also gave YouTube star Corey Williams and pro surfer Anastasia Ashley the opportunity of a lifetime to see if they had what it takes to conquer 14 days in the wild. The two stars documented their intense NAKED AND AFRAID Fan Episode across social media. Fans of the series could catch daily highlights and low points of the NAKED AND AFRAID survival journey in real time. On August 3rd at 9 PM ET/PT, the world will finally see how the entire story unfolded in a special season finale.

Viewers will be given a sneak peek during this two-night event, at the new series DARKNESS, which debuts August 2. Inspired by sensory-deprivation training used by NASA and Special Forces, DARKNESS is a groundbreaking next-generation challenge of mental and physical survival. Three survivalists are trapped inside cave systems, abandoned mines and underground labyrinths for up to six days, pushing themselves to their mental and physical limits, working as a team to survive, stay sane and find the exit back to the light.

Documenting a project like DARKNESS has only become possible in recent years thanks to the latest advances in infrared, thermal and remote imaging technologies. DARKNESS will be produced by a highly-specialized team specifically trained to shoot in extreme environments with minimal interference. In order to keep the experience as immersive as possible, participants will also be outfitted with specialized custom-designed camera equipment enabling them to document their own experience without any exposure to light.

The series features people with diverse backgrounds and reasons to participate. From a female navy survival instructor who is using this opportunity to better her teaching for soldiers who may need to survive in complete darkness to a male firefighter who hates being told he can't do things and whose family said he'd never be able to complete this challenge, DARKNESS intimately takes audiences through the mental and physiological effects of prolonged light deprivation and chronicles their attempts to survive underground, struggling to combine their diverse skill sets and escape the darkness.

NAKED AND AFRAID is produced for Discovery Channel by Renegade 83; David Garfinkle, Jay Renfroe, Steve Rankin and Mathilde Bittner are executive producers. For Discovery, Denise Contis and Joseph Boyle are executive producers and Greg Wolf is associate producer.

DARKNESS is produced for Discovery Channel by Electus. For Electus, executive producers are Christopher Grant, Drew Buckley, Rob Buchta and Max Levenson. For Discovery Channel, Joseph Boyle is executive producer and Greg Wolf is associate producer.

About Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 224 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) satisfies curiosity and captivates superfans around the globe with a portfolio of premium nonfiction, lifestyle, sports and kids content brands including Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. Available in more than 220 countries and territories, Discovery's programming reaches 3 billion cumulative viewers, who together consume 54 billion hours of Discovery content each year. Discovery's offering extends beyond traditional TV to all screens, including TV Everywhere products such as the GO portfolio and Discovery Kids Play; over-the-top streaming services such as Eurosport Player; digital-first and social video from Group Nine Media; and virtual reality storytelling through Discovery VR. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.